14/01/2026
Audience of Grand Master with Diplomatic Corps accredited to Order of Malta.
Rome, 10 January 2026 –
At the Villa Magistrate in Rome, Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap’s traditional new-year audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Sovereign Order of Malta focused on its diplomatic and humanitarian mission from an increasingly global perspective.
Starting from the year just ended “of exceptional intensity, marked both by the spiritual significance of the Holy Year and by a momentous transition in the life of the Holy See” with “the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis and the subsequent election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,” the Grand Master recalled how “these events have profoundly resonated across both the life of the Universal Church and the broader international community.” Retracing the important milestones of diplomatic activity in 2025 involving every continent - also highlighted in the speech by Cameroon’s Ambassador Antoine Zanga, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Sovereign Order of Malta - the Grand Master outlined a clear programmatic approach for 2026.